Truth matters

Or shall we say, matters of truth?

Today, Hilton Hotel Heiress Hottie Paris Hilton was released from her 23 day incarceration after 4.01 days for matters of health. She'll have to go home and wear a cute little bracelet for another 40 days and 40 nights.

No real discussion needed here. My thoughts wander to the poor sap in charge of going in front of media to explain it. Just once it would be fun to hear something like this:

Spokesman: Thank you ladies and gentlemen of the press. Paris Hilton has been released from lockup due to a health matter. I'll take your questions now.

Reporter: what was the medical condition?

Spokesman: As you know, medical stuff is private, which is why we concocted this excuse. Pretty clever, right? Next.

Reporter: Did this have anything to do with her family's wealth?

Spokesman: Yes, yes it did. Her family owns the Hilton Hotel chain and have tremendous influence and connections. Thanks for coming! Have a great day!

Silly fantasies. Just remember, Young Paris spent 4.01 more days in jail than Sandy Berger.

Not to be forgotten, I. Lewis Libby's fate now hangs on whether the judge will send his to prison before his appeal has been heard. Here's a good read from a Washington insider wannabe who was there in the courthouse. Good thing for the liberals that Patrick Fitzgerald and Reggie Walton weren't in charge of prosecuting Bill Clinton, because as they said, truth matters and high level government officials should not cause problems, or something like that.

Seems the judge was disappointed in Libby's lack of contrition. Well, we've heard that before, haven't we?

'There is no constitutional standard for lack of contrition,'' said Sean Wilentz, a Princeton University history professor.

Speaking of contrition, the US Congress is busy trying to enact a huge wrist slap for millions who've displayed none regards our sovereignty or laws, going as far as marching in the streets and demanding the rights they left in their home counties. But I suppose this is actually one quagmire where we can really blame America first. Just don't blame me.

MORE 6/8/07

My friend Uncle Pavian has a slightly different take of the above analogy vis a vis Paris and Sandy. Now, it mustn't be overlooked that he's a man of the law and I'm not but I feel the need to reply anyway (does that make me a chickenlawyer?)

To my thinking there's a difference between paying a fine and seeing the inside of a correctional facility. Fines are not real punishment for heiresses or lobbyists. Community service is good but not the same as a cellmate nicknamed The Hammer. When one gets the slammer, even for 4 days, for traffic violations while the other gets to pick up trash in the park for stuffing National Archive documents down his socks I'm still seeing that as an injustice.